Licensing Opportunities
Our most valuable disruptive technologies with real-world potential are matured through our Validation and Institute Project programs. These projects represent a subset of Wyss Institute technologies currently available for licensing. These technologies have been considerably de-risked by our Advanced Technology and Business Development teams and continue to be refined to advance their near-term translation into commercial products that will transform medicine and create a more sustainable world.
Explore Validation and Institute Projects
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Validation Project
Using systems biology to find and test new drugs fasterThe pharmaceutical industry is infamous for big numbers: it takes 10-15 years and can cost over $2 billion to bring a new drug from the lab to the market. Up to 6 of those years and $1 billion are spent in laborious preclinical trials to identify and validate new potential drug compounds, and much of... -
Institute Project
Circe: Transforming greenhouse gases into biodegradable productsCirce is a platform technology that uses engineered microbes to produce valuable, biodegradable synthetic polymers from greenhouse gases, minimizing the environmental impact of manufacturing. Potential applications include biodegradable plastics and packaging, energy-efficient agriculture, clean personal care products, and more. -
Institute Project
eRapid: Multiplexed electrochemical sensors for fast, accurate, portable diagnosticsHandheld electrochemical sensors have revolutionized at-home medical testing for diabetics, but they have not yet been successfully applied to diagnosing other conditions. These sensors are based on the activity of an enzyme, and there are only a limited number of enzymes that can be used to detect biomarkers of human disease. An alternative, much more... -
Validation Project
Controlled Enzymatic RNA Oligonucleotide SynthesisSynthetic RNA oligonucleotides designed as specific successions of the four nucleobases A, U, G, and C that mimic naturally occurring RNA species are the key components of diverse RNA-based therapies. These include RNA therapeutics that can partially or completely turn off the expression of disease-causing genes (antisense and interfering RNAs), help replace or supplement dysfunctional... -
Validation Project
cold-SNAP: Eco-friendly air conditioningAs average global temperatures steadily climb, the worldwide demand for air conditioning is expected to triple by 2050. Conventional air conditioners, while now cheap to manufacture, still rely on low-efficiency mechanical vapor compression to cool and dehumidify air, making them one of the largest consumers of energy in industrialized countries. An alternative cooling method called... -
Validation Project
Single-Cell Encapsulation for Improved Cell TherapiesMesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are valued for their ability to secrete compounds that modulate the body’s immune system, making them an attractive solution for existing problems with cell therapies including host-vs-graft disease and organ transplant rejections. However, MSCs are rapidly cleared from the body and can come under fire from the immune system. Efforts to... -
Validation Project
Brain-Targeting Shuttles for Drug Delivery and DiagnosticsIn its Brain Targeting Program, a Wyss team led by Founding Director Donald Ingber, M.D., Ph.D. and Staff Program Lead James Gorman, M.D., Ph.D. is developing improved approaches to target drugs and diagnostics to the brain. Leveraging the human blood-brain barrier (BBB) Chip technology developed by Ingber’s team, combined with advanced antibody R&D capabilities, the... -
Validation Project
DNA Data StorageThe genetic material DNA has garnered considerable interest as a medium for digital information storage because its density and durability are superior to those of existing silicon-based storage media. For example, DNA is at least 1000-fold more dense than the most compact solid-state hard drive and at least 300-fold more durable than the most stable... -
Validation Project
Liquid-Infused Tympanostomy TubesAcute middle ear infections affect more than 700 million people each year, with children often experiencing the most recurrent and severe symptoms due to their underdeveloped physiology. By the age of three, 25-40 % of children have had at least three episodes of acute middle ear infection, which is commonly accompanied by excess fluids accumulating... -
Validation Project
AquaPulse: Portable Off-the-Grid Water PurificationGlobally, more than 2 billion people are forced to use a drinking water source that is contaminated with bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens, and an estimated 502,000 people die each year from diarrhea as a result of unsafe water. While a majority of the world has access to improved water sources, many are often contaminated;... -
Validation Project
abbieSense: Anaphylaxis DiagnosticThe molecule histamine plays a primary role in the anaphylaxis reaction, which is a major cause of illness and death in people with severe allergies. Histamine is a very small molecule composed of only seventeen atoms, making it a challenging target to detect. To date, no diagnostic test exists that can measure histamine levels accurately... -
Validation Project
Biomaterial Scaffolds for T Cell ExpansionImmunotherapy, or tweaking the body’s own immune system to treat disease, is attracting significant attention in the medical field for its potential to offer long-lasting cures with fewer side effects than chemotherapy or other drugs. One type of immunotherapy involves isolating T cells (a type of white blood cell) from a patient’s body, sometimes modifying...